Setting goals for your career can be a daunting task. You may feel like there is so much you want to accomplish, but you don’t know where to start. Sometimes, this can be discouraging and make you feel stuck in your career. SMART goals can help you pinpoint smaller milestones and get you out of your rut. Here’s how.
What are SMART Goals?
SMART is an acronym. It stands for Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Relevant, and Time-based. Here’s how it breaks down.
- Specific: You need to be as specific as possible when you are setting career goals for yourself. This makes it easier to plan and narrow down how to reach what you’d like to accomplish.
- Measurable: Think about what you would measure to determine success with your goal. This will help you see when you are making progress. In some cases, you may want to re-evaluate your strategy if you aren’t making adequate progress.
- Attainable: Setting lofty goals will only lead to disappointment. It is important to set your sights on something attainable and be sure you’re giving yourself enough time to get it done.
- Relevant: You will want to set smaller goals that help lead you to your long-term objectives. So, make sure your goals make sense for your five-year plan. You don’t want to pursue a job that doesn’t fit into your desired career path or take a course that you didn’t need. Instead, you want to focus on what will get you further along.
- Time-based: All of your SMART goals also need to have a timeframe. Setting a timeframe around your goals will help keep you accountable. It will also help you revisit your plans and make sure you’re on the right track.
Using SMART Goals for Your Career
These five letters can help you set better goals, attainable goals for your future. Most importantly, it helps you establish boundaries and outline every step you need to achieve your goals. SMART goals make the entire process more efficient and effective. Below is an example of how you might use SMART goals to set intentions in your career.
You might set a goal to have a job as a high school history teacher within four months of receiving your degree in education. This is a good SMART goal because it outlines things clearly. You set a timeline of four months, your goal of becoming a high school history teacher is clear, and it shows how you plan to achieve it through your education and degree.
Get Help From the Professionals
Working with a staffing agency puts you in touch with professional recruiters who can give you career advice and help you set SMART goals. They specialize in helping people find careers and jobs that suit their long-term goals and immediate needs. Beyond that, they can serve as a mentor to you in your career because they know so much about what it takes to be successful in the industry. Learn more about how TekCom Resources can assist you in pursuing your career.
